PHOENIX – The flu season in the Gila Valley continues to be milder compared to recent history.
Graham County added two new cases of influenza this month, bring this flu season’s total to just four thus far.
Both cases were diagnosed the week of Dec. 16. One is a case of Influenza B and the other strain is unknown.
Of the four cases in the county, two involve residents over the age of 65, one involves a person 50 to 64 years old, and the other involves a person between 18 and 49.
Graham County typically sees most of its cases between the start of December and the end of February, with the peak occurring mid-January. The five-season average number of cases is 15 by Dec. 16 in Graham County.
Meanwhile Greenlee County remains free of flu cases.
Statewide, there have been 569 cases of flu thus far, with 42 laboratory-confirmed cases last week. That’s down 83 percent from the previous week and is down 98 percent from the same time last year.
A total of 107 of the cases are Influenza A, 366 are Influenza B and 96 are of an unknown strain.
